© Kate Holt/Africa Practice/AusAid/Flickr
More than 85% of countries made progress on food security last year – but with the bulk of growth concentrated in middle-income economies, low-income countries remained vulnerable to global risks, according to The Economist’s Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) latest Global Food Security Index (GFSI).
Overall economic growth, falling food prices and rising incomes drove food security gains in most countries, EIU found, but poor countries generally lagged behind as lower incomes and a lack of basic infrastructure inhibited access to – and affordability of – nutritious foods.
The risk associated with climate change, population growth and potential spikes in food prices pose threats to the most food-insecure populations, as poor countries are the least able to deal with these factors, EIU added.
Countries that are experiencing armed conflict, government instability and civil unrest have experienced the largest deteriorations in food security since 2015, with an influx of refugees from war-torn Syria potentially straining food safety nets in Europe and other regions.
Low-income countries often lack basic infrastructure, and smaller incomes inhibit access to and affordability of nutritious food. Political risk and corruption frequently compound structural difficulties in these countries, exacerbated by the risk of future climate change. Changing weather patterns, drought, increased rainfall and flooding will have a significant impact in the long term, potentially pushing up food prices and increasing production volatility.
In the light of current and future food security challenges in low-income countries, the GFSI stresses that advancements in these countries must become a priority.
The GFSI, sponsored by DuPont, is an annual benchmarking index that provides a common framework for understanding the root causes of food insecurity by examining the dynamics of food systems around the world, through which the GFSI has created a unique country-level food security measurement tool that addresses the issues of affordability, availability and utilisation in 113 countries worldwide.
Progress on food security
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